73-655: Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky . It is the most well known colonelcy in the United States. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) is awarded in the name of the Commonwealth by the governor of Kentucky to individuals with "Honorable" titular style recognition preceding the names of civilians aged 18 or over, for noteworthy accomplishments, contributions to civil society, remarkable deeds, or outstanding service to
146-562: A RoboCop version of Colonel Sanders. Later that year, Sean Astin played a Rudy Ruettiger version of the Colonel to commemorate the beginning of the NFL season. In 2019, a free video game was commissioned by the restaurant chain KFC and released for free called I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A parody of conventional dating sims, the primary objective of the player is to develop a romantic relationship with
219-672: A service station in Nicholasville . In 1930, the station closed as a result of the Great Depression . In 1930, the Shell Oil Company offered Sanders a service station in North Corbin, Kentucky , rent free, in return for paying the company a percentage of sales. Sanders began to serve chicken dishes and other meals such as country ham and steaks . Initially he served the customers in his adjacent living quarters before opening
292-528: A "wall-paper taste". Harland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890, in a four-room house located 3 miles (5 km) east of Henryville, Indiana . He was the oldest of three children born to Wilbur David and Margaret Ann ( née Dunlevy) Sanders. His mother was of Irish and Dutch descent. The family attended the Advent Christian Church . His father was a mild and affectionate man who worked his 80-acre (32 ha) farm until he broke his leg in
365-493: A Federal lawsuit against Kentucky Colonels International in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in 2020. The lawsuit alleged infringement of the registered trademark "Kentucky Colonels ®" . In 2021, the parties settled the case with a permanent Injunction prohibiting Kentucky Colonels International from using the "Kentucky Colonels ®" trademark. In 2023, The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels opened
438-550: A Kentucky colonel commission and only issued about a dozen new commissions annually, on Derby Day . Governor Keen Johnson followed Governor Chandler's lead during his time in office from 1939 to 1943, commissioning only those select individuals who were deemed to have exhibited exceptionally noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation. The subsequent governors, however, have typically been much more liberal in issuing Kentucky colonel commissions. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (HOKC)
511-479: A brief piece of footage of Hammond followed by Macdonald's Colonel declaring his predecessor an impostor. In February 2016, yet another portrayal was introduced with Jim Gaffigan as the Colonel, shown bolting awake in bed and telling his wife about his recurring nightmare of Macdonald's Colonel "pretending to be me". By July 2016, George Hamilton was playing Colonel Sanders, parlaying his famous tan into an advertisement for KFC's "extra crispy" chicken. During
584-477: A courtroom brawl with his own client destroyed his reputation. This period represented a low point for Sanders. As his biographer John Ed Pearce wrote, "[Sanders] had encountered repeated failure largely through bullheadedness, a lack of self-control, impatience, and a self-righteous lack of diplomacy." Following the incident, Sanders was forced to move back in with his mother in Henryville, where he went to work as
657-409: A fall. He then worked as a butcher in Henryville for two years. Sanders's mother was a devout Christian and strict parent, continually warning her children of "the evils of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and whistling on Sundays". Sanders's father died in 1895. His mother got work in a tomato cannery, and the young Harland was left to look after and cook for his siblings. By the age of seven, in 1897, he
730-410: A fictionalized version of KFC's founder Colonel Sanders, portrayed as an attractive classmate at a cooking school. In December 2020, a fictionalized Colonel Sanders was portrayed by Mario Lopez in the 2020 short film A Recipe for Seduction . The Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball league developed an urban legend of the " Curse of the Colonel ". A statue of Colonel Sanders was thrown into
803-812: A fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad , and he and his family moved to Jackson, Tennessee . By night, Sanders studied law by correspondence through the La Salle Extension University . Sanders lost his job at Illinois after brawling with a colleague. While Sanders moved to work for the Rock Island Railroad , Josephine and the children went to live with her parents. After a while, Sanders began to practice law in Little Rock , which he did for three years, earning enough in fees for his family to move with him. His legal career ended after
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#1732858920296876-472: A group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey for $ 2 million ($ 19.6 million today). However, he retained control of operations in Canada, and he became a salaried brand ambassador for Kentucky Fried Chicken. In his later years, he became highly critical of the food served at KFC restaurants, and cost-cutting measures that he said reduced its quality, referring to the food as "God-damned slop" with
949-417: A hospitable glass in his hand, and he looks over the good and fertile earth, over ripening fields, over meadows of rippling bluegrass. The rounded note of a horn floats through the fragrant stillness. Afar, the sleek and shining flanks of a thoroughbred catch the bright sun. The broad door, open wide with welcome ... the slow, soft-spoken word ... the familiar step of friendship ... all of this is his life and it
1022-546: A laborer on the Pennsylvania Railroad . In 1916, the family moved to Jeffersonville , where Sanders got a job selling life insurance for the Prudential Life Insurance Company . Sanders was eventually fired for insubordination. He moved to Louisville and got a sales job with Mutual Benefit Life of New Jersey. In 1920, at age 30, Sanders established a ferry boat company, which operated a boat on
1095-470: A new lawsuit against Kentucky Colonels International for "one count of civil contempt , four counts of various federal trademark infringement, one count anticybersquatting , and three counts of various common law trademark infringement ". In August 2023 the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels won their lawsuit. David J. Wright and his organization Kentucky Colonels International were held in contempt of
1168-560: A new public perception of what a Kentucky colonel was, posing himself more as a refined, well-mannered southern gentleman, rather than a figure in the Kentucky militia. In 1905, this view was expanded by Zoe Anderson Norris publishing Twelve Kentucky Colonel Stories: Describing Scenes and Incidents in a Kentucky Colonel's Life in the Southland in The New York Sun . In 1931, a story about
1241-568: A partnership of Kentucky businessmen headed by John Y. Brown Jr. , a 29-year-old lawyer and future governor of Kentucky, and Jack C. Massey , a venture capitalist and entrepreneur. Sanders became a salaried brand ambassador. The initial deal did not include the Canadian operations, which Sanders retained, nor the franchising rights in the UK, Florida, Utah, and Montana, which Sanders had already sold to others. In 1965, Sanders moved to Mississauga , Ontario ,
1314-684: A restaurant. It was during this period that Sanders was involved in a shootout with Matt Stewart, a local competitor who had painted over a sign directing traffic to Sanders' station. Stewart killed a Shell employee who was with Sanders. and was convicted of murder, eliminating Sanders's competition. Sanders was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel in 1935 by Kentucky governor Ruby Laffoon . His local popularity grew, and, in 1939, food critic Duncan Hines visited Sanders's restaurant and included it in Adventures in Good Eating , his guide to restaurants throughout
1387-573: A suburb of Toronto , to oversee his Canadian franchises and continued to collect franchise and appearance fees both in Canada and in the US. Sanders bought and lived in a bungalow at 1337 Melton Drive in the Lakeview area of Mississauga from 1965 until his death in 1980. In September 1970 he and his wife were baptized in the Jordan River . He also befriended Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell . Sanders remained
1460-718: A supervisor in Seattle until the latter part of 1942. He later ran cafeterias for the government at an ordnance works in Tennessee, followed by a job as assistant cafeteria manager in Oak Ridge, Tennessee . He left his mistress, Claudia Ledington-Price, as manager of the North Corbin restaurant and motel. In 1942, he sold the Asheville business. In 1947, he and Josephine divorced and Sanders married Claudia in 1949, as he had long desired. Sanders
1533-456: A tumultuous relationship with his stepfather. In 1903, at age 12, he dropped out of seventh grade (later stating that "algebra's what drove [him] off") and went to live and work on a nearby farm. At age 13, he left home and took a job painting horse carriages in Indianapolis . When he was 14, he moved to southern Indiana to work as a farmhand. In 1906, with his mother's approval, Sanders left
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#17328589202961606-463: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Harland Sanders Colonel Harland David Sanders (September 9, 1890 – December 16, 1980) was an American businessman and founder of fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC). He later acted as the company's brand ambassador and symbol. His name and image are still symbols of
1679-400: Is good. He brings fair judgment to sterner things. He is proud in the traditions of his country, in ways that are settled and true. In a trying world darkened by hate and misunderstanding, he is a symbol of those virtues in which men find gallant faith and of the good men might distill from life. Here he stands, then. In the finest sense, an epicure ... a patriot ... a man. Gentlemen, I give you,
1752-423: Is not known. In 1895, Governor William O'Connell Bradley commissioned the first honorary Kentucky colonels as an award of merit bestowed upon citizens for their individual contributions to the state, good deeds, and noteworthy actions. In 1784, John Filson published his book The discovery, settlement and present state of Kentucke which contained an appendix entitled "The adventures of Col. Daniel Boon, one of
1825-518: Is nothing in the world but a damn fried doughball stuck on some chicken. After being recommissioned as a Kentucky colonel in 1950 by Governor Lawrence Wetherby , Sanders began to dress the part, growing a goatee and wearing a black frock coat (later switching to a white suit), a string tie , and referring to himself as "Colonel". His associates went along with the title change, "jokingly at first and then in earnest", according to biographer Josh Ozersky . He never wore anything else in public during
1898-499: Is seen in the ongoing historic association between Kentucky and bourbon whiskey production. As of 2013, approximately 95 percent of all bourbon was produced in Kentucky, and the state had 4.9 million barrels of bourbon in the process of aging. The historic distiller James B. Beam is referred to as "Colonel James B. Beam" for the marketing of the Jim Beam brand (the largest-selling brand of bourbon). The Sazerac Company similarly refers to
1971-516: The Louisville Courier-Journal on October 8, 1975, he told journalist Dan Kauffman: My God, that gravy is horrible. They buy tap water for 15 to 20 cents a thousand gallons and then they mix it with flour and starch and end up with pure wallpaper paste. And I know wallpaper paste, by God, because I've seen my mother make it. ... There's no nutrition in it and they ought not to be allowed to sell it. ... [The] crispy [fried chicken] recipe
2044-617: The Ohio River between Jeffersonville and Louisville. He canvassed for funding, becoming a minority shareholder himself, and was appointed secretary of the company. The ferry was an instant success. Around 1922 he took a job as secretary at the Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, Indiana . He admitted that he was not very good at the job and resigned after less than a year. Sanders cashed in his ferry boat company shares for $ 22,000 ($ 393,000 today) and used
2117-601: The Southern Railway , and secured Sanders a job there as a blacksmith's helper in the workshops. After two months, Sanders moved to Jasper, Alabama , where he got a job cleaning out the ash pans of locomotives from the Northern Alabama Railroad (a division of the Southern Railway) when they had finished their runs. Sanders progressed to become a fireman (steam engine stoker) from the age of 16. He worked
2190-579: The "create-a-wrestler" feature) as part of a product placement deal with KFC. Ray Liotta then portrayed Sanders. Singer Reba McEntire was named as the newest Sanders in January 2018, and made her debut in a commercial promoting the fast food chain's new "Smoky Mountain BBQ" chicken. As of August 2018 , actor Jason Alexander and professional strongman and actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson both portray Colonel Sanders. In early 2019, Peter Weller portrayed
2263-428: The 19th century. Likewise the Kentucky colonel has been portrayed in a number of films, cartoons, movies, books and featured in newspapers since as early as the 1850s. Those who have received a Kentucky colonelcy commission have often used the title, idea or the image of the concept of the idealistic Kentucky Colonel to promote art, business, events, music, places and recreational activities while simultaneously promoting
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2336-513: The Colonel Sanders character back in new television advertisements, played by comedian Darrell Hammond . Some commentators felt the new portrayal was distasteful and disrespectful of the actual man's legacy. In August 2015, KFC launched a new campaign, this time with comedian Norm Macdonald portraying Sanders; the first ad of the campaign makes direct reference to the Hammond campaign, with
2409-496: The Kentucky Colonel. In 2016, Governor Matt Bevin briefly suspended the program to conduct a review of the requirements for receiving the title and then changed the nomination process so that "only active members of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels" were allowed to make recommendations for the honor. Up to that point in time, the longstanding practice had been that recommendations could be submitted by anyone who already
2482-473: The Kentucky Colonels' Derby Eve Banquets: I give you a man dedicated to the good things of life, to the gentle, the heartfelt things, to good living, and to the kindly rites with which it is surrounded. In all the clash of a plangent world he holds firm to his ideal – a gracious existence in that country of content "where slower clocks strike happier hours". He stands in spirit on a tall-columned veranda,
2555-658: The Neeley Family Distillery (a craft bourbon distiller) in Sparta, Kentucky filed for the trademark "Old Kentucky Colonel" to bring back the original Kentucky Colonel brand. Each governor decides the selection process and number of colonelcies that are issued. The process has previously required a nomination from another colonel or direct recognition by the governor but, under the process established by Governor Andy Beshear , nominations and recommendations for other people can be submitted by both Kentucky colonels and members of
2628-609: The Permanent Injunction and ordered to pay legal fees of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Starting around 1889, culture began incorporating the idea of the Kentucky Colonel as the name or part of the name of bars, beer, bourbon , barbecue, burgoo , clubs, hotels, food, liquor stores, plants, restaurants, social venues, sports teams, tobacco products and even a political lobby. The Kentucky Colonel has always been most notorious for drinking bourbon, making moonshine liquor, storytelling and dueling over their honor starting in
2701-485: The UK, Australia, Mexico and Jamaica by the mid-1960s. Sanders obtained a patent protecting his method of pressure frying chicken in 1962, and trademarked the phrase "It's Finger Lickin' Good" in 1963. The company's rapid expansion to more than 600 locations became overwhelming for the aging Sanders. In 1964, then 73 years old, he sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken corporation for $ 2 million ($ 19.6 million today) to
2774-571: The US. The entry read: Corbin, KY. Sanders Court and Café 41 — Jct. with 25, 25 E. ½ Mi. N. of Corbin. Open all year except Xmas. A very good place to stop en route to Cumberland Falls and the Great Smokies. Continuous 24-hour service. Sizzling steaks, fried chicken, country ham, hot biscuits. L. 50¢ to $ 1; D., 60¢ to $ 1 In July 1939, Sanders acquired a motel in Asheville , North Carolina . His North Corbin restaurant and motel
2847-601: The addition of fried chicken was a way of differentiating his restaurant from competitors; in Utah, a product hailing from Kentucky was unique and evoked imagery of Southern hospitality . Don Anderson, a sign painter hired by Harman, coined the name Kentucky Fried Chicken . After Harman's success, several other restaurant owners franchised the concept and paid Sanders $ 0.04 per chicken (equivalent to $ 0.46 in 2023). Sanders believed that his North Corbin restaurant would remain successful indefinitely; however, he sold it at age 65 after
2920-459: The airing of the 2016 SummerSlam , a commercial aired of WWE wrestler Dolph Ziggler dressed up as Colonel Sanders beating up a man in a chicken suit (played by fellow wrestler The Miz ) in a wrestling ring. In September 2016, comedian Rob Riggle played Sanders in an ad introducing a football team named "The Kentucky Buckets". In January 2017, to advertise their "Georgia Gold Honey Mustard BBQ" Chicken offerings, actor Billy Zane took over
2993-478: The alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop. In 1975, Heublein Inc. unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel after he publicly described their gravy as being "sludge" with a "wall-paper taste". Sanders and his wife reopened their Shelbyville restaurant as " Claudia Sanders, The Colonel's Lady " and served KFC-style chicken there as part of a full-service dinner menu, and talked about expanding
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3066-927: The area to live with his uncle in New Albany, Indiana . His uncle worked for the streetcar company, and secured Sanders a job as a conductor. Sanders falsified his date of birth and enlisted in the United States Army in October 1906 (age 16), completing his service commitment as a wagoner (see teamster ) in Cuba being awarded the Cuban Pacification Medal (Army) . He was honorably discharged in February 1907 and moved to Sheffield, Alabama , where his uncle lived. There, he met his brother Clarence, who had also moved there in order to escape their stepfather. The uncle worked for
3139-476: The back of his car, Sanders visited restaurants, offered to cook his chicken, and if workers liked it negotiated franchise rights. Although such visits required much time, eventually potential franchisees began visiting Sanders instead. He ran the company while Claudia mixed and shipped the spices to restaurants. The franchise approach became highly successful; KFC was one of the first fast food chains to expand internationally, opening outlets in Canada and later in
3212-580: The community, state, or a nation. The Governor bestows the honorable title with a colonelcy commission , by issuance of letters patent . While many famous and noteworthy people have received commissions as Kentucky colonels, the award is equally available to those of all backgrounds based on their deeds. A Kentucky Colonel is traditionally considered a goodwill ambassador of the Kentucky state, culture, folklore, traditions and values. Although Kentucky colonels are considered in Common Law to be aides-de-camp to
3285-481: The company made was to the gravy, which Sanders had bragged was so good that "it'll make you throw away the durn chicken and just eat the gravy" but which the company simplified to reduce time and cost. As late as 1979 Sanders made surprise visits to KFC restaurants, and if the food disappointed him, he denounced it to the franchisee as "God-damned slop" or pushed it onto the floor. In 1973, Sanders sued Heublein Inc. —the then parent company of Kentucky Fried Chicken—over
3358-506: The company's symbol after selling it, traveling 200,000 miles (320,000 km) a year on the company's behalf and filming many TV commercials and appearances. He retained much influence over executives and franchisees, who respected his culinary expertise and feared what The New Yorker described as "the force and variety of his swearing" when a restaurant or the company varied from what executives described as "the Colonel's chicken". One change
3431-411: The company. Sanders held a number of jobs in his early life, such as steam engine stoker , insurance salesman, and filling station operator. He began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky , during the Great Depression . During that time, Sanders developed his "secret recipe" and his patented method of cooking chicken in a pressure fryer . Sanders recognized
3504-454: The distiller Albert Blanton as "Colonel Blanton" for their marketing of the Blanton's brand. In both cases, the "Colonel" title refers to being a Kentucky colonel. A brand of Kentucky bourbon called Kentucky Colonel was produced in the 1980s, and at least two current brands of Kentucky bourbon have the word "Colonel" in their name, the Colonel E. H. Taylor and Colonel Lee bourbon brands. In 2020
3577-549: The first settlers " . Filson's book gained popularity and Boone became a symbol of American pioneering. There became increased interest in the trans-Appalachian West among both Europeans and Americans. Filson's The adventures of Col. Daniel Boon, one of the first settlers was reprinted in France, Germany, England and New York. With the widespread fame of Filson's novel came a greater recognition of Kentucky and its colonelcy. In 1890 Opie Read published A Kentucky Colonel which spawned
3650-446: The general public by completing an online form. Title of honor A title of honor or honorary title is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits. Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority , but the person bestowed does not have to carry out any duties, except for ceremonial ones. The title may sometimes be temporary, only valid for
3723-411: The governors and members of their staff and thus entitled to the style of " Honorable ", Kentucky colonels are usually just referred to and addressed as "Colonel" and use the abbreviation "Col." or Kentucky colonel when the term is not being used as a specific title for an individual. Most properly in writing this becomes "Col. First Name, Middle, Surname, Kentucky Colonel". In 1776, Col. John Bowman
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#17328589202963796-399: The growing amount of Kentucky colonels emerged, "Thousand New Kunnels, Suh, In 25 Years". Prior to 1932, only about 1,000 people had received official "Honorable" commissions as Kentucky colonels from Kentucky's governors. Governor Ruby Laffoon , in office from 1931 to 1935, dramatically increased the number of colonels by issuing more than 10,000 commissions in 1933 and 1934; among his motives
3869-474: The individual's visit or for a single day , though they can also be permanent titles. In some cases, these titles are bestowed posthumously. Some historical honorary titles may be bought, like certain titles of nobility . This has long been a matter of fraud, both outright and indirect. Honorary titles also serve as positions of sinecure and honorary retirement . Some examples of honorary titles from various areas include: This award -related article
3942-1225: The job for nearly three years until he was fired for "insubordination" after he got sick. Sanders found laboring work with the Norfolk and Western Railway from 1909. While working on the railroad, he met Josephine King of Jasper, Alabama , and they were married shortly afterwards on June 15, 1909, in Jasper. They would go on to have three children, Margaret Josephine Sanders, born March 29, 1910, in Jasper, Alabama , and died October 19, 2001, in West Palm Beach, Florida , Harland David Sanders Jr. on April 23, 1912, in Tuscumbia, Alabama , who died on September 15, 1932, in Martinsville, Indiana , from infected tonsils , and Mildred Marie Sanders Ruggles, born October 15, 1919, in Jeffersonville, Indiana , and died September 21, 2010, in Lexington, Kentucky . He then found work as
4015-407: The last 20 years of his life, using a heavy wool suit in the winter and a light cotton suit in the summer. He bleached his mustache and goatee to match his white hair. John Y. Brown Jr. remembered Sanders as "a brilliant man with a gourmet flair for food, a visionary and a great motivator, with the style of a showman and the discipline of a Vince Lombardi ." Sanders was a Freemason . Sanders
4088-494: The money to establish a company manufacturing acetylene lamps. The venture failed after Delco introduced an electric lamp that it sold on credit. Sanders moved to Winchester, Kentucky , to work as a salesman for the Michelin Tire Company . He lost his job in 1924 when Michelin closed its New Jersey manufacturing plant. In 1924, by chance, he met the general manager of Standard Oil of Kentucky , who asked him to run
4161-486: The new Interstate 75 reduced customer traffic. Left only with his savings and US$ 105 a month from Social Security (equivalent to $ 1,194 in 2023), Sanders decided to begin to franchise his chicken concept in earnest, and traveled the US looking for suitable restaurants. After closing the North Corbin site, Sanders and Claudia opened a new restaurant and company headquarters in Shelbyville in 1959. Often sleeping in
4234-476: The organization and, via donation to and participation in the HOKC's charitable efforts throughout the state they can be considered an active member. In 1936, New York advertising agency owner, Kentucky colonel Arthur Kudner, wrote a toast to Kentucky colonels. The toast was quickly adopted by the HOKC, and it was widely promoted and published for use by colonels. The toast has since been ceremoniously presented at each of
4307-460: The potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first KFC franchise opened in South Salt Lake, Utah , in 1952. When his original restaurant closed, he devoted himself full-time to franchising his fried chicken throughout the country. The company's rapid expansion across the United States and overseas became overwhelming for Sanders. In 1964, then 73 years old, he sold the company to
4380-581: The restaurant into a chain. He was sued by the company for it. After reaching a settlement with Heublein, he sold the Colonel's Lady restaurant, and it has continued to operate, currently as the Claudia Sanders Dinner House. It serves his "original recipe" fried chicken as part of its non-fast-food dinner menu, and it is the only non-KFC restaurant that serves an authorized version of the fried chicken recipe. Sanders remained critical of Kentucky Fried Chicken's food. In an article published by
4453-493: The role as the "Solid Gold Colonel". In April 2017, actor Rob Lowe was announced as the newest actor in the role of Colonel Sanders. Lowe said that as a child, he actually got to meet Harland Sanders. WWE would return to using Colonel Sanders during 2017, showing ads of Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle playing him, as well as announcing that Colonel Sanders would be available as a playable character in WWE 2K18 (accessible through
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#17328589202964526-450: The state's customs and traditions, resulting in the honor becoming a well-recognized trademark of Kentucky's culture. As it was explained by the defense in the U.S. District Court in 2020, "the idea and image of the Kentucky Colonel and Kentucky colonels is inextricably intertwined with the state". Examples of the concept of the Kentucky Colonel being used to promote a product or idea include: The Kentucky colonel title in business marketing
4599-431: The time of Sanders's death, there were an estimated 6,000 KFC outlets in 48 countries worldwide, with $ 2 billion in sales annually. A fictionalized Colonel Sanders has repeatedly appeared as a mascot in KFC's advertising and branding. Sanders has been voiced by impressionists in radio ads, and from 1998 to 2001 an animated version of him voiced by Randy Quaid appeared in television commercials. In May 2015, KFC brought
4672-444: Was "re-commissioned" as a Kentucky Colonel in 1950 by his friend, Governor Lawrence Wetherby . In 1952, Sanders franchised his secret recipe "Kentucky Fried Chicken" for the first time, to Pete Harman of South Salt Lake, Utah , the operator of one of that city's largest restaurants. In the first year of selling the product, restaurant sales more than tripled, with 75% of the increase coming from sales of fried chicken. For Harman,
4745-481: Was a Kentucky colonel, without any requirement for donations or membership in any particular organization. The nomination process was changed under Governor Andy Beshear . Beshear had the nomination process frozen starting in December 2019. In February 2020, Governor Beshear removed the requirement that the nominators be among those previously designated as Kentucky Colonels. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels filed
4818-522: Was attended by more than 500 people. His body was also displayed in an open casket during a memorial service that was held at KFC's headquarters in Louisville; about 1,000 to 1,200 people attended the service. Sanders was buried in his characteristic white suit and black western string tie in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. His wife, Claudia, died on December 31, 1996, at the age of 94. By
4891-441: Was commissioned by the governor of Virginia. At the time Kentucky colonelcy was still military appointment in contrast to the modern Kentucky colonelcy which is an honorary title for civilians. Charles S. Todd is often mistakenly believed to be the first recipient an honorary commission of a Kentucky colonel in 1813. This is disputed by Col. Todd's biography, and US military archives. The identity of first civilian honorary colonel
4964-494: Was destroyed in a fire in November 1939, and Sanders had it rebuilt as a motel with a 140-seat restaurant. By July 1940 (age 50), Sanders had finalized his " Secret Recipe " for frying chicken in a pressure fryer that cooked the chicken faster than pan frying . As the United States entered World War II in December 1941, gas was rationed, and as the tourism dried up, Sanders was forced to close his Asheville motel. He went to work as
5037-744: Was diagnosed with acute leukemia in June 1980. He died at Jewish Hospital in Louisville of pneumonia six months later, on December 16, at the age of 90. Sanders had remained active until the month before his death, appearing in his white suit to crowds. His body was laid in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort after a funeral service at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Chapel, which
5110-415: Was first established during the depression in 1933 by Governor Ruby Laffoon as a state order of merit with an office at the capital. In 1957, it was incorporated as a nonprofit dedicated to building playgrounds, curating history, awarding scholarships and providing relief to Kentuckians in need. After a person receives a commission from the governor they automatically become an honorary lifetime member of
5183-467: Was officializing the Kentucky colonel to identify with the Commonwealth, taxing the title of colonel, and boosting his own political support. One of his most famous colonelships was granted to restaurateur Harland Sanders , who was commissioned by Laffoon in 1935. When Governor Albert Benjamin Chandler (better known as Happy Chandler ) took office in 1935, he took a very different view on the distinction of
5256-442: Was reportedly skilled with bread and vegetables, and improving with meat; the children foraged for food while their mother was away at work for days at a time. In 1899, his mother married Edward Park, but according to the 1900 census, his mother was widowed again. When he was 10, in 1900, Sanders began to work as a farmhand. In 1902, Sanders's mother married William Broaddus and the family moved to Greenwood, Indiana . Sanders had
5329-512: Was the first Kentucky colonel officially appointed. Col. John Bowman was appointed as colonel of the Militia of Kentucky County by Governor of the Colony of Virginia , Patrick Henry . Notable pioneer, Daniel Boone was given the title "colonel" by Col. Judge Richard Henderson in 1775 when he founded the settlement of Boonesborough . Boone was not officially granted a Kentucky colonelcy until 1780 when he
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